Tag: Nitin Gadkari

As the magic 49 number of days of Modi sarkar comes to a close, it has been a good journey. Looking back at some of the hilarious points of what is fast coming to be known as the U-Turn sarkar.

Should India be entertaining Pakistani VIPs if there is conflict at the border?

That is how the Modi sarkar began. Before, Modi had only contempt for Manmohan Singh's sarkar that apparently did not retaliate strongly enough to Indian soldiers being killed at the border. That too, in Telugu, it seems.

Modi blasts Manmohan Singh for taking killings at the LoC lightly

Modi himself had refused the evil Pakistanis in a massive demonstration of patriotic solidarity. Little did Dr. Manmohan Singh know that when people say his silence was a problem, they mean it. He could have tried something as simple as inviting Pakistan's Prime Minister for an important national function. Like so:

Modi on LoC conflicts and relations with Pakistan before and after

Or perhaps I may be wrong, and this may not be a patriotic move so much as the first installment on the election campaign expenses. Even as the poor beheaded jawan's wife was protesting. Sometimes greater good has to be seen.

Modi's sponsor Adani wants to sell power to Pakistan

But at least Modi was right about the other borders I think. Illegal Bangladeshis are such a nuisance. Modi was right to threaten to deport them

Bangladeshis were to be deported before elections

but there is a problem. After all, he'd just invited their Prime Minister for his coronation. So he at least tried to get rid of the "illegal" from it, if not deporting.

Visa-free entry to Bangladeshis under 18 years and over 65 years

The solution was so simple, one must really wonder why Dr. Mannu never thought of it. Simply allow them visa free entry - voila! Now they can stay where they are legally!!!

Appropriately terrified, Priyanka Gandhi confessed to making multiple applications and offered to pay the fine (and nicely ignored the jail time, thank you very much).

But wait. That was before. Now that Modi sarkar is in place, the greater efficiency showed that Priyanka Vadra may have applied as many times as she liked, but the super efficient (retrospectively as well) Ministry of Corporate affairs had actually issued her only one DIN. What a DIN about DINs. Just like Nitin Gadkari (No, you can't check now, the extra DINs nicely show "not yet issued" now that a better government is in place.)

Oops! Priyana Vadra and Karti Chidambaram had only one DIN each. Fooled ya!

Modi sarkar had Vadra terrified while UPA2 was in rule.

Vadra security privileges - before

Then, as they campaigned, they probably thought a panicked Vadra would fight too hard to defeat them, so they kinda.... reassured.

Action against Vadra or no? Election Campaign

And never let it be said BJP goes back on its word. Robert Vadra remains unscathed.

What about Robert Vadra's security exemptions?

They had even terrified the couple together. Imagine losing security privileges and having to go through security checks at airports? I bet the couple lost sleepless nights.

Modi Sarkar has brought acche din to the country.

Jaitlet had thought that the Income Tax exemption slab should be raised to 5 lakh before the elections. Now that he got to present the budget, he raised it to 2.5 lakh.

What should the IT exemption slab be? Beore and after

Hey! No need to get outraged! If you ignore the decimal point, 25 is five times 5.

What about investments in railways?

Everything perfect on that front. Just watch.

What about the railways? Before and after

We have no hesitation in telling you that UPA2 would have totally messed up the privatization of railways and FDI, but now that it is a BJP sarkar and BJP no longer plays dog in the manger with the government, many things that UPA2 wanted to do are now possible without BJP staging a walkout against itself.

Still not convinced? You are a cynical sickular. Try this.

Modi railway hike before and after

Oh wait. I meant this.

Amazing, isn't it, the things you can do when you can get a dozen newspapers to publish near identical articles without sources that can push things that happened before the election aside? Like this one?

Did Uday Lalit represent Amit Shah? Before

There are many, many such gems. And you cannot blame BJP. After all, they have delivered the only real promise they made before the election - Modi as PM. To avoid confusion, they even avoided publishing a manifesto as far as possible.

So you really cannot claim that they cannot do U-Turns.

Welcome to the opening innings of U-Turn sarkar. May the remaining period be as hilarious as so far... and may worries about the country never plague your dazzled brain.

Note: This post actually has a lot of things missing (mostly because I got tired of doing screenshots). Feel free to nominate your favorites to this collection in the comments. I will update as and when I am back in the mood to play screenshot-screenshot.

Some ideas to get you started. Google up what Jaitley thought about declassifying the Henderson Brooks report on the 1962 war before and after the elections

Arun Jaitley's U-Turn on the Henderson Brooks report on the 1962 war

or Aadhaar cards, or.... you get the idea? Or you could try non-specific U-Turns like strict action against criminal politicians, inflation, using ordinances in non-emergencies and the infamous "Acche Din"!

With much advertisement of the Gujarat model, all eyes were on the Modi government, particularly since BJP expects higher standards of those it criticizes than itself. The reality is stunning, but not in a nice way.

Nitin Gadkari with dubious financial dealings with Ideal Road Builders including a no interest loan to his company, Purti Group - amount of loan was greater than company's turnover - from them in a period when Gadkari handled the ministry in Maharashtra and massive lucrative contracts went to them gets to build the country's roads. Nitin Gadkari was assessed by the Income Tax department as having evaded 7 crores in taxes by means of benami investments and over a dozen firms operating from bogus addresses. Gadkari also threatened Income Tax officers. Gadkari is said to have six DIN numbers - something BJP had raised a huge hue and cry over Priyanka Vadra and Karti Chidambaram. Cabinet Minister for the Prime Minister who made grand declarations about corruption in his election campaign. This is apart from the much covered up case of the dead girl Yogita Thakre found in his car.

Rao Inderjit Singh - whom the BJP itself accused of involvement in a Defence land scam when he was in Congress is Minister of State and handling (hold your breath) defence in Modi's government as well.

Smriti Irani, Minister for Human Resources Development, which includes education faked her own educational qualifications in an election affidavit.

Gopinath Munde apparently got a degree in 1976 from a college that started in 1978.

Ordinance Modi turn

After criticizing ordinances passed by UPA2 government for less than urgent reasons, the Modi government has so far passed two ordinances. One weakening TRAI act to be able to appoint Nripendra Misra as Principal Secretary (which the act barred) and the second on the controversial Polavaram project. Neither of them requiring immediate action that can't wait for a Parliamentary session.

Varun Gandhi's mother is in charge of child development.

After endless accusations of Congress misusing the CBI to frame Modi, Satya Pal Singh, who defended Mumbai's encounter cops was head of SIT for Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case is now in Modi's cabinet.

Ajit Doval, ex-head of IB (which has consistently served to dilute cases of state sanctioned human rights abuse in Gujarat), with dubious links to the gangster Chota Rajan is now National Security Advisor. A National Security Advisor with links to gangsters is whose idea of development?

After condemning multiple DINs by Priyanka Vadra and Karti Chidambaram as proofs of corruption, Two ministers in Modi's cabinet (Coal Minister, Piyush Goyal and Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari) so far have been shown to hold multiple DINs.

30% of Modi's ministers have criminal cases against them in a Lok Sabha with 21% ministers with criminal cases against them, which is already disproportionately high compared with India's general population. Development of India or criminals? Or perhaps that IS the Gujarat Model? After all, 57/182 MLAs in Gujarat too face criminal charges - 31%. That may be the magic ratio of development.

In the much advertized OBC-chaiwalla's government, 2/3rd of the cabinet is Brahmin, Thakur, Rajput.

For those who claim Modi will controll RSS, of 23 ministers who swore in on the cabinet,a mind boggling 17 are affiliated with the RSS or affiliate organizations. That is over 80% in case anyone is interested. Or in other words, Modi's cabinet has 6 non-Hindutva ministers. That will really finish the RSS, I think.

As usual, the accusations BJP levels at others turn out to be true about themselves and virtues it takes pains to advertize turn out fake.

Wanting a lean cabinet is one thing, but the selection of ministers does not invoke confidence.

Narendra Modi will be handling Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space. Given the secretive nature of India's nuclear establishment, and the very serious apprehensions regarding several existing and proposed nuclear plants, the ability and intent of Modi to demand and examine accountability and risks with regard to safety rather than merely push for more nuclear plants becomes paramount. I don't know if it exists. If he puts his mind to it, I imagine it will be a very good thing, but the pollution in Gujarat as well as interest in health doesn't look very promising.

Nitin Gadkari gets Road Transport and Highways! Sheer brilliance. Ideal Road Builders thanks Modi. Like Modi was lucky for Adani, Gadkari was lucky for IRB to the point of giving Gadkari's company interest free loans. There is good money in tolls we hear. Ask the guy who campaigned for Modi who has a habit of vandalizing them.

Arun Jaitley, whose grouse against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was that he was not elected will control the country's finance, corporate affairs and defense after losing the election he contested in. That too, to a Congress candidate. So, at best, it is a "let us see how he does".

Smriti Irani, who lost the election she contested in as well will be handling HRD, which includes education. Smriti Irani is 12th class pass, as Madhu Kishwar and Ajay Maken pointed out. While, as Swapan Dasgupta said "Someone remind me. Did Rabindranath Tagore go to university? he certainly established one & had enlightened views on education" is true, it doesn't immediately follow that every uneducated person is a potential Rabindranath Tagore who was a polymath, while Smriti Irani hasn't been associated with intellectual pursuits as far as I am aware. Worse, she apparently has lied about her education on an earlier election affidavit. Nor was Rabindranath Tagore given the responsibility of handling the Nation's education and I don't think he'd lie about his qualifications either. I am no educational snob, and I don't necessarily see India's graduations as a qualification, so for me at least, this isn't a minus as much as a wildcard. Not something you know enough about to expect performance.

Uma Bharati, the 6th class pass and with 13 criminal cases against her, and a key player in the Babri Masjid demolition gets Water resources, river development and Ganga Rejuvenation. On the good side, she had been demanding fighting pollution and illegal quarrying on the Ganga. Considering that much of the sand mafia has BJP blessings, she may actually be able to do some good by pulling them up - or covering up... but for all the undesirable qualities, Uma Bharati does not come across as deceitful. I actually respect her for that. So I am hoping for the Ganga at least. Looks like she gets to put her money where her mouth was. I imagine if she gets sentenced in her cases, Modi will do a Maya Kodnani rerun and pretend ignorance.

Sanjeev Balian, Muzafarnagar riots accused, is Minister of State and Modi's second opportunity to claim ignorance in the future if he fails to protect him.

Inderjit Singh Rao, Minister of state for Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and Programme Implementation (Independent Charge), and Defence had been accused by the BJP in the Kandivli Defense Land Scam. Dr. Kirit Somaiya had called it Adarsh II. Rao Inderjit Singh was then Union Defence Minister of State for Defence Production, and as per Dr. Somaiya, he had directed his personal secretary to ask the military authorities in Mumbai to hand over the defence land to Kalpataru builders. Dr. Somaiya was BJP National Secretary and Chairman Scam Expose Committee for BJP. I assume he wasn't just doing false accusations, right?I suppose doing such things as a part of Congress was the problem. Now that he is BJP, he may proceed? Seriously? Adarsh II is now Adarsh the role model?

Former Army Chief, the controversial V K Singh is Minister of state for the northeast. I can't imagine north east with its serious grievances about the AFSPA will really find a representative in a former army chief, thought the government will likely count on his experience as well as be influenced by his views on the key issue.

I haven't been through whole list yet, but this cabinet looks like putting the cat in charge of guarding the milk. I imagine with no fear of the media and no opposition to name as such, one doesn't really have to bother about election promises of ending corruption and such for another four years at least.

While AAP is busy distracting from the nature of accusations against Nitin Gadkari by suffering more damage than him and talking about that suffering rather than multiple-DIN Nitin Gadkari (it is an evil denounced by the BJP with much outrage), it is a good time to put them up again and leave readers to decide whether this is corruption or an innocent being defamed with false accusations.

These are direct extracts from investigative reporting by media houses. Nitin Gadkari is welcome to sue them for defamation as well.

Nitin Gadkari aides including ex-driver were directors in 26 companies

Days after revelations of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari's former driver being the director of some of the alleged benami companies that funded Gadkari's company, CNN-IBN has now accessed more documents. The documents show that four of Gadkari's very close aides, including his former driver and accountant, have been directors in at least 26 companies and that too within a period of the past four years.

Gadkari's former driver, Manohar Panse was a director in 11 companies between 2009 and 2011. Gadkari's very close aide, Kawdu Zade, has been a director in 16 companies in the same period. Purti employee Nishant Agnihotri has been a director in 13 companies.

A very close aide, Sagar Kotwaliwale has been a director in 9 companies. Like the controversial Purti Sugar and Power Private Ltd. in Nagpur, there are three more companies controlled by the 4 close aides of Gadkari.

CNN-IBN had on Thursday also accessed details of one of the alleged shell companies that invested in Gadkari's Purti Group. Regency Equifin Pvt Ltd interestingly has Gadkari's accountant Kawu Zade and other employees in Purti as directors.

Also, records show that Regency Equifin both borrowed from and lent money to Gadkari. The company bought shares worth Rs 4 crore in Gadkari's Purti Group in 2008. The 2008-09 balance sheet of Regency Equifin shows Gadkari gave unsecured loans of Rs 26 lakh. In 2011, the balance sheet of Regency Equifin shows that the loss-making Purti gave Rs 95 lakh to it.

The Income Tax department on Thursday began probe into Purti Power and Sugar Ltd (PPSL). I-T authorities said they will also probe source of funds of the 18 companies that invested in Purti. Prima facie evidence suggested that shell companies had invested in Purti. Sources said that if necessary Gadkari might also be summoned in the case.

"I-T departments of Mumbai and Pune have started their probe into Gadkari's Purti Power and Sugar Ltd," sources said. The agency is also expected to submit a report to Central Board Direct Taxes (CBDT) soon. The 18 companies will be summoned in due course. I-T department sources said that it would be very difficult to prove the quid pro quo. "If necessary Gadkari might also be summoned but that call will be taken by investigating officer in due course of the probe. I-T has already started gathering documents relating to these companies," said sources.

"We will trace the source the funds of the companies including the 18 companies that invested in Purti," a top I-T official said on condition of anonymity. He said prima facie 'shell' companies (inactive firms used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres or kept dormant for future use in some other capacity) had pumped money into PPSL.

Gadkari is at the centre of a raging controversy over funding of PPSL with media reports claiming that major investments and large loans to Purti were made by Ideal Road Builders (IRB) group, which had won contracts between 1995 and 1999, when the BJP chief was PWD minister in Maharashtra.

Reports also claimed that shell companies were floated for making investments and their fake addresses were submitted to the Registrar of Companies. On Tuesday, Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily had said that Registrars of Companies would inquire into the allegations. On his part, Gadkari has denied the allegations and said he was prepared for a probe.

Here's more from BJP's oh so loyal Times Now.

Here. One more from Times Now

Here NDTV finds that these supposed directors may not be aware of being directors and address provided for firms are fake.

Astrologer, driver are directors of investor firms for Nitin Gadkari's company

Through a partly opened door Manisha Sharma said, "My husband Vishnu Sharma is an astrologer. He works from home, looking at people's horoscopes. He does not work anywhere else." Mrs Sharma was responding to questions about her husband's links with BJP president Nitin Gadkari. Mr Sharma himself, his wife said, was away in Jaipur.

Vishnu Sharma is listed as a Director in Ashwami Sales and marketing and Earnwell Traders, both of which have bought over Rs. 5.5 crore worth of shares in Mr Gadkari's Purti Group. According to documents filed with the registrar of companies, Mr Sharma was appointed a Director of Ashwami Sales and Marketing in June this year.

Ashwami shares its company's address with two other entities - Earnwell Traders Private Limited and Swiftsol India Private Limited. But none of these companies exist at the address, 10 Govind Karman Chawl, in suburban Mumbai's Malad. It's the residence of the Soni family since the last 15 years.

Earnwell and Swiftsol together own about Rs. 5 crore worth of shares in Purti.

Ever since NDTV exposed mystery companies that have invested in Nitin Gadkari's Purti Power and Sugar Private Limited, more details of these companies and its Directors are emerging everyday.

All of them point to the loopholes in Mr Gadkari's defence. On Saturday, when NDTV broke the story of mystery investors in his Purti Group, Mr Gadkari had said his investors are friendly businessmen and professionals who he turned to fund his company.

Nitin Gadkari had said, "Any individual can purchase any share from any company. Basically there are 10,000 farmers. The farmers are the members of Purti. Now on that equity it was difficult to get the loan, so we approached many people from society - industrialists, traders, businessmen, investors."

But what is emerging is that investor companies have as their directors astrologers, Mr Gadkari's personal aides and his own driver Manohar Panse. One of these companies is Ashwami, the same which has Vishnu Sharma, the astrologer as its Director.

When NDTV went to the residential address of Mr Panse in Nagpur, given by the company to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, we were told that he did not live there. He lives exactly opposite, in Wada, Mr Gadkari's' home in Nagpur. Today though Mr Panse, we were told, was not there.

Instead, we met his son who said he had no idea if his father was a Director in one of the companies that had invested so much money in Mr Gadkari's company. Amit Panse said if his father was made Director, it was because he has been working loyally for Mr Gadkari for 22 years.

Panse was also a Director at one point in another mystery company All Wise Finvest. This company has bought shares worth Rs. 3 crore into Purti Power and Sugar Private Limited.

False addresses, directors who are personal aides, directors who are clueless about the existence of these mystery companies - all raising questions about the sources of funding of Purti Group.

So here is the icing on the cake of these investigations. Threats to Income Tax officers. This would be Economic Times.

A bellicose Nitin Gadkari on Thursday threatened revenge against Income Tax officials, who are investigating his controversial dealing with the Nagpur-based Purti Group. A day after the sangh parivar capitulated to outraged public opinion and handpicked Rajnath Singh to lead the BJP, Gadkari warned the tax officials of "retribution" when a government headed by his party takes over the Centre.

Financial jugglery appears to be an open secret. Here's what the Commission of Inquiry on the Adarsh Housing Society found according to The Hindu. Of course, Maharashtra Cabinet scrapped the report right off the bat.

Gadkari aides figure in benami transactions

A firm, of which MP Ajay Sancheti’s brother Abhay is director, financed 8 buyers in Adarsh

The Commission of Inquiry on the Adarsh Housing Society has found 22 transactions to be benami, eight of the buyers having been financed by the San Finance Corporation, of which the BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti’s brother Abhay is a director. The Sanchetis are considered close aides of the former party president, Nitin Gadkari.

All 22 transactions are barred under the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act 1988, says the report, since tabled in the Maharashtra Assembly and already rejected by the Cabinet.

I guess someone needs to explain to Gadkari that it ain't defamation if it is true.

There were nice attempts to whitewash Gadkari but content doesn't really die on the internet.

In classic BJP style, yet another lofty condemnation returns to roost. Subramanian Swamy had filed complaint against Priyanka Vadra for possessing multiple DINs. Applying for or owning multiple Director Identification Numbers is a criminal offense with a six month jail sentence and fifty thousand ruppee fine.

Priyanka Vadra has admitted to applying for DIN multiple times and is attempting to end the matter with paying the fine. Subramanian Swamy had also complained against Karti Chidambaram.

Less happy news for the BJP, whose supporters went to town with condemnations of corrupt character in the run up to the elections is that it now appears that Nitin Gadkari has six DIN numbers as well - 00403714, 00192107, 00192180, 00256905, 01529243 and 01598520.

Nitin Gadkari ke DIN

Now, while Karti Chidambaram and Priyanka Vadra are hot targets because of who their parents are, Nitin Gadkari happens to be a Member of Parliament. It remains to be seen if Modi's promise of strict action against corrupt leaders works against his own party members. Or is it back to business as usual now that elections are done?